Region hunkers down for snow day

NO SCHOOL; GOT MILK?

Paul Comptois puts chains on a front-end loader Thursday at the Street Operations garage of the Worcester Department of Public Works, in preparation for the impending snowstorm. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR)

“We are going to war, and like someone once said, we are going to war with the army we have,” said Robert L. Moylan Jr., commissioner of the Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks.

That army is a platoon of 400 trucks that will plow the streets of the city during the storm.The storm, which has been named “Nemo,” is expected to hit early Friday afternoon and so far has generated a lot of hype.

While many snow forecasts are hovering around a predicted 18-24 inches, some put Worcester closer to 3 feet. One model even shows a snowfall taller than a toddler – 45.8 inches.

“It doesn't make a difference if it is 24 inches or 48 inches,” Mr. Moylan said. “What we have is how we are going to deal with the storm.”

As of this afternoon, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was advising state residents to prepare for the potential blizzard that could dump 12 to 24 inches of snow – with some isolated spots getting higher amounts. The snow will be accompanied by hurricane force winds on the coast and winds as strong as 50 mph inland, which could cause widespread power outages.

MEMA advised that conditions tonight may make travel nearly impossible, with blowing and drifting snow causing zero visibility. MEMA is telling people to keep their cars in park, to allow plows to clear the roads.

Most of the plows on the road in Worcester will be operated by private contractors. Before the snow flies, residents will see other trucks on the road applying a chemical treatment. Then, as the storm intensifies, plows will be deployed as needed.

Today was all about logistics and planning.

The DPW was inspecting its equipment and making sure all the necessary materials will be on hand, assessing what staff will be available and the hours of operations, all based on what has been forecasted.

At the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, salt supplies were being replenished and 4,000 private plow contractors were hopefully catching a quick nap before heading out to clear roads across the state.

“We will definitely be ahead of the storm,” said Sara Lavoie, spokeswoman for the state Highway Department. “We have the resources to stay ahead of it.”

As the storm sets its sights on New England, local responders were getting ready to meet the needs during what some are calling a storm of historic proportions.

School cancellations started to roll in before noontime. School has been canceled for Friday in Worcester, Grafton, Westboro, Northbridge and the Quabbin Regional district, to name a few. See complete list of cancellations.

It was a decision that was made based on the afternoon's weather reports and information heard in a conference call with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

“The latest information and plot of the storm predicts a large amount of snow, high snow drifts and gale force winds,” Ms. Spitulnik said.

Ms. Spitulnik said an early release day was considered before deciding to completely cancel the school day.

“We decided to cancel the entire day because the timing of the storm was so hard to predict,” Ms. Spitulnik said, adding that canceling school early also gives parents sufficient notification to plan for having their children home.

Ms. Spitulnik said canceling school is not a decision superintendents make on their own. Ms. Spitulnik said she is a part of a group of superintendents in southern Worcester County who frequently communicate via email and text messages when a storm is predicted to make a decision by consensus.

Worcester canceled school just after 3 p.m.

Worcester School Superintendent Melinda J. Boone was monitoring the forecasts before deciding to cancel school, and met with a team to discuss safety, building and facility concerns that could be faced during the storm.

In addition, weekend activities at the city schools have been canceled, and Ms. Boone said a decision when to reopen school will be made over the weekend after assessing snow removal throughout the city.

Like Worcester, staff and student safety is a priority for Westboro Public Schools, which made the decision to close after consultation with the Department of Public Works, Chief of Police Alan Gordon and superintendents in surrounding communities, said Superintendent Marianne O'Connor.

In addition, Mrs. O'Connor said a team is in place to open the high school as an emergency shelter.

“Cots are available and a custodian will be on duty if we have to open the high school for an emergency shelter,” Mrs. O'Connor said. “We have water and food on site.”

At the American Red Cross, disaster assessment teams, made up of volunteers, are monitoring the weather and will continue to do so and track power outages and storm damage, said Mary Nathan, regional response manager.

“We have volunteers available and always will to respond to a disaster,” Ms. Nathan said. “However, we will not have volunteers on the road in the height of storm. The safety of our volunteers comes first.

“During the height of the storm, the volunteers may want to hunker down with their families, but when the roads are safe, we do have shelter trailers stocked and ready to go if a community does need to open a shelter,” she continued.

Ms. Nathan advised people to be prepared to stay sheltered in place for up to three days, which means having one gallon of water per person per day; having food that does not require heat for cooking or an electric can opener; and making sure people have a sufficient supply of medications.

The other concern is fire safety.

If the power is out and space heaters are being used, Ms. Nathan said to have a 3-foot zone of empty space around the heater, making sure blankets, bedding and other flammable materials are not near the heater.

Should power remain on, people should not overload extension cords and should take precautions if using a wood stove.

Meanwhile, organizers of some events are rescheduling.

For instance, the hours of the New England Fishing Expo at the DCU Center in Worcester were adjusted, and the Daughtry and 3 Doors Down concert originally scheduled for Friday night has been rescheduled for Monday. Some ticket holders for the Daughtry and 3 Doors Down concert had been pleading with the DCU Center via Facebook posts to cancel the concert.

The snow, however, is not stalling Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray's scheduled trip to Santa Fe, N.M., where he will participate in the National Lieutenant Governors Association conference. Mr. Murray is chairman of the NLGA.

A spokesman said Mr. Murray will continue to be briefed on the forecast, storm preparedness efforts and the response.

“The latest information and plot of the storm predicts a large amount of snow, high snow drifts and gale-force winds,” Ms. Spitulnik said.

Ms. Spitulnik said an early release day was considered before deciding to cancel the full day.

“We decided to cancel the entire day because the timing of the storm was so hard to predict,” Ms. Spitulnik said, adding that canceling school early also gives parents sufficient notification to plan for having their children home.

“The storm may not start until the early afternoon, and we would want to get the children home by noon. If the timing of the storm was off, we didn't' want to be transferring the students home in dangerous conditions. And having only three hours of school is not educationally sound.”

Ms. Spitulnik said canceling school is not a decision superintendents make on their own. Ms. Spitulnik said she is a part of a group of superintendents in Southern Worcester County who frequently communicate via email and text messages when a storm is predicted.

In addition to canceling school, Ms. Spitulnik said the school administration is part of the town's emergency preparedness group, and as such has to make sure the high school is ready to open if the town needs and emergency shelter.

The National Weather Service has posted blizzard warnings for much of southern New England, including Boston, Worcester and Providence, along with New York City and its suburbs, and parts of New Jersey.

The storm is expected to dump up to 2 feet of snow in places, with the heaviest amounts falling Friday night into Saturday.

The Massachusetts National Guard said it was authorized Thursday to call up 500 guardsmen to join more than 5,500 already scheduled for weekend training to assist with roadway clearing and transportation operations across the state during the storm.